"Winckworth Sherwood's service is extremely good: it is very commercial and the expertise is strong"
"No matter what issue we have had, we have always been given clear and timely advice."
Offering a number of different specialist services, Winckworth Sherwood provides market leading advice across a broad range of sectors and markets. Delivering a first class service is key to everything we do.
We pride ourselves on providing the highest levels of service, commercial focus and technical excellence in all the sectors in which we act. One of the key strengths of our business is our diversity and the wide range of sectors and specialisms we work across.
We are well placed to offer specialist advice on transactional matters, in areas such as employment, real estate, data protection, tax and immigration. We have significant experience of working alongside other law firms in M&A deals, and a number of our lawyers have joined us from City or US firms with large transactional practices. Our largest practice areas are real estate and employment, resulting in very few conflicts when working alongside other firms on transactional matters.
OUR EXPERTISE
Charities & Social Enterprises
Church Law
Commercial
Commercial Disputes
Corporate
Corporate & Real Estate Tax
Data Protection &
Regulatory Law
Education
Employment
Family
Family Offices
Finance
Immigration
Independent Investigations
Infrastructure
Local & Central Government
Parliamentary & Public Law
Partnership/ Professional
Practices
Private Wealth, Trusts & Tax
Real Estate
Retail, Leisure & Licensing
Social Housing
Telecoms, Utilities and EV
Charging
Real Estate is an integral part of Winckworth Sherwood, and our highly-ranked practice covers virtually all aspects of property law, including expertise in landlord and tenant, disposals and acquisitions, joint ventures, large-scale developments (commercial and residential), construction, planning, and litigation.
Our large team of expert lawyers is ideallyplaced to assist with cross-border M&A work, to handle large-scale property due diligence, advise on property tax issues, and to provide specialist advice on property issues in corporate transactions. The team prides itself on responsiveness and providing straightforward and practical advice.
OUR WORK INVOLVES:
• Corporate support work
• Property acquisitions and disposals
• Property taxes
• Commercial leases and landlord and tenant
• All types of property disputes
• Property development (commercial and residential)
We have 27 partners and a further 40 dedicated lawyers working across the real estate sector. We act for some of the biggest names in the property sector, and recent experience includes:
• Assisting a leading law firm on property issues in a corporate transaction
• Acting for major housebuilders (such as Barratt Developments PLC) on complex development and regeneration projects
• Acting for corporate occupiers and landlords
• Advising developers on finance raising
For more information or an informal discussion please contact James Corbett (jcorbett@wslaw. co.uk).
"The team is very responsive and provides very strategic advice that is pragmatic and balanced."
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS 2023
Members of our data protection team have frequently advised on the data protection aspects of corporate transactions, including working alongside other law firms who are instructed on the corporate aspect of the deal.
OUR WORK INVOLVES:
• Advising on the data protection related provisions of sale and purchase agreements, such as warranties and indemnities as well as covenants relating to the specific circumstances of the transaction
• Reviewing due diligence materials and preparing content for due diligence reports
• Advising buyers on remediation steps required to address data protection issues identified in due diligence
• Advising on ancillary documents such as transitional services agreements and data sharing agreements
• Advising on data protection issues arising in the context of sharing personal data for the purposes of conducting the transaction and in connected non-disclosure agreements and engagement letters
• Working alongside local counsel in other jurisdictions to provide coordinated advice on data protection matters
• Coordinating with functional IT specialists instructed by buyers
• Our data protection transactional team is lead by partner Chris Garrett. Prior to joining Winckworth Sherwood, Chris worked for 10 years at a major US law firm and advised on numerous large transactional matters. The wider data protection team includes three partners and 7-10 other qualified lawyers.
• Advising a global investment manager on the English data protection law aspects of its acquisition of a controlling interest in a UK asset management business
• Advising a leading global specialty reinsurer on the data protection aspects of a loss portfolio transfer agreement with an acquirer and reinsurer of legacy and discontinued insurance business
• Advising a global investment management business on the data protection aspects of its acquisition of a European-based private equity secondaries asset manager
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Chris Garrett (cgarrett@wslaw. co.uk).
The members of our tax team have many years’ experience advising on the tax aspects of corporate transactions, including M&A transactions, business sales/purchases, joint ventures, financings, restructurings and largescale real estate development projects. In particular, the team has extensive expertise in all aspects of real estate taxation (including VAT and stamp duty land tax), and also regularly advises on non-real estate VAT matters.
• Drafting and negotiating tax indemnities and other tax-related contractual protection in a variety of contexts, including:
• share purchase agreements
• business sale agreements
• joint venture agreements
• LLP/partnership agreements
• agreements for lease
• real estate development framework agreements
• Providing advice in relation to the tax-efficient structuring of transactions and holding structures
• Providing general tax advice, covering most taxes including corporation tax, employment tax, VAT and stamp duty land tax
• Advising clients on the implications of changes to tax law
Members of the team have prior experience working at other City and US firms. One of our tax partners, Jonathan Woodall, spent 10 years working at a top City law firm, during which time he advised real estate funds, private equity funds, asset managers, corporates (including REITs) and pension funds on a wide variety of tax matters. The team is able to draw on this experience to provide commercial, practical advice within tight timeframes.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Jonathan Woodall (jwoodall@ wslaw.co.uk)
"Winckworth Sherwood's service is client-focused, professional and well organised."
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS 2020
Our employment team is highly regarded in the market, and is recognised in the Legal 500 and Chambers Directories for its effective advice for employer clients.
We frequently advise on the employment aspects of corporate transactions, including working alongside other law firms who are instructed on the corporate aspect of the deal.
OUR WORK INVOLVES:
• Reviewing due diligence materials and preparing content for due diligence reports
• Advising on the employment related provisions of sale and purchase agreements, such as warranties and indemnities as well as covenants relating to the specific circumstances of the transaction, in addition to other ancillary documents such as transitional services agreements, deeds of warranty and investment agreements
• Advising on TUPE, including in relation to the required information and consultation process and the restrictions on changes to terms and conditions of employment
• Implementing retention bonus and other transaction related incentives
• Drafting new service agreements for senior executives
• Advising on executive terminations and widerscale redundancies arising from a transaction
• Advising on the impact of the transaction on existing incentive arrangements
• Working alongside local counsel in other jurisdictions to provide coordinated advice on employment-related matters
Our employment transactional team is lead by partners Andrea London and Chris Garrett and can draw on resources from across an employment team comprising 17 dedicated employment law specialists. Our team draws on experience from working in Magic circle, US, and national law firms.
• Advising Carlyle on the English employment law aspects of its acquisition of Abingworth, a life sciences investment firm
• Advising Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, on the English employment law aspects of its acquisition of a controlling interest in Arcmont Asset Management
• Advising a leading global specialty reinsurer on the employment and data protection aspects of a loss portfolio transfer agreement with an acquirer and reinsurer of legacy and discontinued insurance business
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Chris Garrett (cgarrett@wslaw.co.uk) or Andrea London (alondon@wslaw.co.uk).
Our team of specialist lawyers have a particular focus on and longstanding experience in conducting and advising upon all aspects of independent investigations. Our expertise includes investigations in a range of organisations and business sectors, including financial services and professional practices.
We are expert in alleged misconduct, including sexual harassment and misconduct and bullying allegations; employee and office holder grievances, whistleblowing and disciplinary matters, including financial and procedural impropriety, FCA conduct and other regulatory matters, corporate mismanagement and fraud and governance audits, incorporating diversity and inclusion and conflicts of interest.
OUR WORK INVOLVES:
• Acting as the appointed independent investigator to organisations and companies to conduct the investigation process, including witness interviews, assessing the documentary evidence, and preparing an independent investigation report, including recommendations where appropriate
• Advising on the investigation process and risks (in cases where another independent investigator is acting) to include advice on the process and
legal and procedural risks, drafting the terms of reference of the investigation process, advise on data privacy and confidentiality issues including in respect of the publication of investigation report and information sharing
• Acting as legal adviser to individuals being accused of potential misconduct and supporting the individual throughout the investigation process as well as any possible disciplinary or regulatory process which may follow
• Advising individuals raising an allegation of misconduct and supporting them throughout an investigation and related grievance process
• Conducting an independent investigation into alleged sex discrimination and sexual misconduct at Board level of a national restaurant chain, reporting to the Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Undertaking a highly sensitive investigation into allegations made by a departing Interim CFO against an Interim Chief People Officer in a household name professional regulatory body
• Carrying out a complex investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour made by a number of female employees against a very senior male executive. The investigation lasted approx. two months and resulted in the alleged perpetrator leaving the business. We then carried out follow-up training sessions for approximately 80 managers within the business in order to address perceived internal cultural issues.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Bettina Bender (bbender@wslaw. co.uk).
Winckworth Sherwood’s immigration team advises on all aspects of private and business immigration, British nationality and Judicial Review matters. Immigration is an area of law which is constantly evolving and complex, with changes being made to the law on a regular basis.
Beyond all the rhetoric and statistics, there are individuals and businesses with aspirations upon which decisions are made. As a full-service firm with a wide range of practice areas in which we are leaders means that advice you receive will be holistic, detailed and tailored to ensure the best possible outcome.
OUR WORK INVOLVES:
• Sponsorship licence applications
• Sponsorship licence management and training
• Sponsorship Management System assistance/ level 1 user service
• Skilled Worker Visas
• Dependant family members
• Right to work checks and preventing illegal working
• Right to work training and audits
• Personal immigration matters such as visitor visas, family visas, Ancestry visas and other
• British citizenship
• Representing a large multinational hotel chain with locations in exclusive parts of London on the operation of their Sponsor Licence, including the handling of their Sponsor Management System, preparing and submitting Skilled Worker visas for current and prospective staff
• Representing a large multinational event production company with locations across the world on the operation of their Sponsor Licence, including the handling of their Sponsor Management System, preparing and submitting Skilled Worker visas for current and prospective staff
• Advising a large education trust on the operation of their licence, including training on right to work checks, duties and compliance and how to run their Sponsor Licence
• Advising a well-renowned family office that is politically exposed on a number of right to work checks for current and prospective staff
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Younes Ech-Chadli (yech-chadli@ wslaw.co.uk).
Private legal matters require the expertise and assured touch of an experienced and discrete team. Our private client team can call on a wealth of experience to advise individuals, families, executors and trustees on the full range of private client matters. Our approach is detail-focused, ensuring we provide a tailored solution which meets the needs of our clients.
• Philanthropic structures
• Estate planning and wills
• Inheritance tax planning
• Probate; domestic and multi-jurisdictional
• Disputed wills, estates and trusts
• Matrimonial and family disputes
• International private client matters including tax, estate planning and overseas assets
• Trusts; both private and charitable
• Attorneyship and the Court of Protection
• Family offices
• Acted for US persons in relation to their UK situs assets
• Prepared UK wills and lasting power of attorney for partners of US law firms
• Acted for UK persons with US exposure
Members of the private client team have prior experience working with US firms. One of our partners, James Mabey, spent time offshore in Bermuda prior to joining Winckworth Sherwood and worked closely with US advisors in acting for wealthy US clients with assets and wealth structures overseas.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact James Mabey (jmabey@wslaw. co.uk).
"...an excellent firm with good depth and an efficient yet agile approach."
LEGAL 500 2023
CHRIS GARRETT
Partner , Employment and Data Protection
cgarrett@wslaw.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7593 5020
Chris is a partner in the employment team who advises businesses on all aspects of data protection law as well as employment and partnership law. He has considerable experience of advising both UK and global businesses on all areas of data protection compliance and has frequently advised companies on cybersecurity incident response matters, including dealings with data protection supervisory authorities and individual data breach notifications.
ANDREA LONDON alondon@wslaw.co.uk
Partner , Employment
+44 (0)20 7593 0287
Andrea is a very experienced employment lawyer who is responsive, clear, pragmatic and practical; aiming always to seek solutions based on what is best for the individual client or business in the circumstances.
With a multi-faceted employment practice; Andrea’s work comprises the full spectrum of employment advisory from complex employment issues (litigious and non-contentious), through to the various commercial employment-related matters which arise in corporate transactions.
BETTINA BENDER bbender@wslaw.co.uk
Partner , Independant Investigations
+44 (0)20 7593 5045
Bettina is a Partner and specialises in employment and partnership law. She has long-standing experience in providing commercial and strategic advice to a range of UK and multinational businesses and professional service firms, as well as senior executives, founders and partners.
JAMES MABEY
Partner , Private Client
jmabey@wslaw.co.uk
+44 (0)20 3735 1935
James is a Partner in Winckworth Sherwood’s Private Client team. His work includes advising private individuals, trustees and executors on a broad range of issues connected with wealth management and preservation, frequently working towards long-term objectives and advising on appropriate structures to pass wealth down generations.
James recently practised in Bermuda where his work included the creation of trust structures, resettling trusts, advising settlors, trustees and protectors on the interpretation and administration of trusts and private trust company structuring.
JAMES CORBETT jcorbett@wslaw.co.uk
Partner , Real Estate
+44 (0)20 3735 1905
James is a partner in Winckworth Sherwood’s Real Estate team and acts on a wide range of matters, including acquisitions of development sites, investment work, and landlord and tenant work. Prior to joining Winckworth Sherwood, James trained and qualified at Lewis Silkin LLP, before joining the Commercial Real Estate team at Forsters LLP where he acted for major institutional investors, multi-site occupiers, and developers.
JOHNATHAN WOODALL
jwoodall@wslaw.co.uk
Partner , Tax +44 (0)20 7593 5009
Jonathan advises corporates, fund managers, housing associations, HNWs and other clients on a wide range of tax matters, including property investment and development transactions, joint ventures, finance transactions and other M&A and corporate transactions. In addition to direct tax matters, Jonathan has particular expertise in VAT and stamp duty land tax matters, and regularly advises clients on the application of those taxes in complex scenarios.
YOUNES ECH-CHADLI
yech-chadli@wslaw.co.uk
Senior Associate, Immigration +44 (0)20 3735 1970
Younes is a Senior Associate advising on all aspects of private and business UK immigration, citizenship and public law matters at Winckworth Sherwood. He is able to advise on all aspects of private and business UK immigration, citizenship and public law matters.
An active member of the profession, Younes was a Committee member and volunteer of the Duncan Lewis Pro Bono Committee that has received national recognition, including winning the LawWorks Pro Bono Award for Best Contribution by a Firm with a London Head Office 2015.
